Blood, Sweat, and Tears
by confusedsarcasm
Summary: When the hospital is taken hostage, the doctors of PPTH are forced to make decisions without hesitation. But when such vital decisions are made quicker than your next breath, you are bound to make a bad one. What will it cost them in the end? COMPLETE!
1. Surprises

**Title**: Blood, Sweat, and Tears  
**Summary**: When the hospital is taken hostage, the doctors of PPTH will be forced to make decisions without second thought. But when such vital decisions are made quicker than your next breath, you are bound to make a bad one…what will it cost them in the end?  
**Genre**: Action and suspense!  
**Rating**: T for violence and mentions of blood and whatnot  
**Pairings**: Possible Huddy later on…maybe even some Chameron  
**Time Frame**: Before House lost his team…so season three-ish  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own House, M.D.

* * *

Lisa Cuddy stood on the roof of Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital overlooking the hospital parking lot. She had been feeling exceptionally stressed out recently and had made it a habit to retreat up the stairs and onto the roof to unwind.

She didn't know why, but ever since she was a little girl she found comfort in heights as opposed to being afraid of them. The height gave her a certain feeling of power and control to be able to watch people live their lives, unaware of everything else going on around them, so busy that they couldn't find the time to just stop and take a look around at all they were missing, all they were taking for granted.

She currently had a mound of paperwork on her desk as big as Mount Everest that she wasn't overly eager to return to, so she decided to stay on the roof just a little while longer. She closed her eyes and felt her body begin to relax as the soft breeze gently caressed her face and the wind blew swiftly through her hair.

A sudden noise coming from the parking lot tore her away from the sensations of the wind and she took a step closer to the edge of the building to investigate. It was fairly dark outside and Cuddy leaned over the edge to try and get a better look at whatever it was that disrupted her from her peaceful moment on the roof.

She could see three shadows emerging from a suspicious looking black or possibly dark blue van. She couldn't see their faces but could tell by their silhouettes that they were three burly men in long black coats and heavy boots. She watched them closely as the biggest man in the group opened up the back of their van and reached in for something. What he retrieved from the van shocked Cuddy and a rush of panic surged through her veins.

The large man took out something Cuddy recognized, even in the dark, as a firearm of some kind. He passed it to the man next to him and her fears were confirmed as the second man cocked the gun, the proverbial sound ringing out prominently through the streets of Princeton.

Her hands seemed to be working of their own accord as she reached into her pocket for her cell phone. Panic rose deep inside her as she found nothing in her pocket apart from some lint and a gum wrapper. She cursed as her hands roamed all over her body, patting her clothes down as she searched for anything she happened to have on her to warn the occupants of the hospital of the impending danger. Her hands made contact with her pager that was clipped onto the hem of her pants and she broke her gaze from the three men she had been watching intently for a moment to glance at her pager. Her fingers worked furiously as she sent out a message.

Cuddy turned her attention back to the men in the parking lot, trying to formulate a plan to get everyone out of this alive, but soon realized that her time was limited as the men took their first steps towards the main doors of the hospital.

**

* * *

A/N**: So how do you like it so far? Reviews are like my air! I need them to keep writing! Well, I need it to stay alive, but if I was dead I really wouldn't be writing much now, would I? That being said, give me some air! 


	2. Reinforcements

A/N: Wow! Thank you all so much for the great reviews! It really makes writing this worth the while. So without further ado, here's the next chapter. Enjoy! Oh, and _italics_ will be everyone's thoughts.

Disclaimer: see chapter one

* * *

Cuddy paced back and forth on the roof of the hospital anxiously, trying to come up with something, anything that she could do. The screech of tires sent her eyes, once again, upon the parking lot. 

Parked haphazardly adjacent to the other van, was now another black van. Only this time five occupants stepped out. It was now even later and, as a result, even darker, so Cuddy strained her eyes to get a glimpse of them. They were not as bulky as the other men Cuddy assumed were already wreaking havoc inside the hospital, but were still exceptionally muscular. They did not reach into the back of the van though, to Cuddy's relief.

She watched as the men went their separate ways and took positions at opposite corners of the hospital. They looked concerned when they must have realized that the hospital was bigger than they originally thought, and one reached into his pocket pulling out a cell phone, spitting commands out to someone on the other end. '_Oh no, they're bringing in more reinforcements_.'

Cuddy composed herself and started to assess the situation she was in. The hospital was incredibly large with multiple stories; she knew it like the back of her hand. She practically lived there, and countless hours spent working into the dark of night had taught her to roam the halls without the aid of daytime or artificial lights.

'_Okay, I have an advantage here. I know each and every crevice of this hospital, plus no one knows about me yet. The roof is a great vantage point for me to keep tabs on these guys and the dark is partly in my favor_.' She contemplated making her way through the hospital. '_I'd have to lurk in the shadows, but that's probably the hardest thing for me to do, considering all the people, and if I even made it to the front doors, those guards at the front would kill me upon sight.'_

Cuddy made her decision to stay on the roof for now. Once again she started her inspection. '_Alright what do we got here?'_ Like the rest of the hospital, being large and complex, the roof was no exception. There were many different levels connected by built in ladders and countless windows. '_Why do I have to run a hospital made out of glass?_' There were also balconies extending out of some of her doctor's offices.

'_Okay, this shouldn't be too hard. I just need to make my way climbing up and down this roof for about fifty feet, get down onto one of those balconies, avoid being seen in any of the windows, jump about five feet onto that tree branch, hope that it's sturdy enough to hold me, scurry up the tree, climb down it without being seen, and sprint to the nearest payphone…or police office…whichever comes first_.' Cuddy shook her head and sighed. _'Oh well, this is what I get for being an administrator_.'

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed from inside the stairwell. Cuddy spun around swiftly at the noise. The sound ceased and was replaced with the turning of the door handle. '_Oh, shit_.'

* * *

Nurse Brenda was finishing up some work at the nurse's station when her pager went off. She took her time finishing up one more thing on some paperwork of hers and filed it away properly before reaching down to check the message. Her easygoing attitude was replaced with one of confusion and panic when she received the message to call the cops. Her hands weren't registering with her brain which was now screaming at her to 'pick up the phone!' She looked up just in time to see three massive men in dark leather coats approach the counter. "May, may I help you?" she stuttered. Her hands were now firmly on the handle of the phone as she looked at the biggest the man dead in the eye. "Why, yes you may." He put on a false cheery tone that did nothing to match his appearance and harsh, deep voice as his hands reached for something hidden within his coat. "Can you direct us towards Lisa Cuddy's office?" 

"She's in a meeting at the moment," she lied, "do you have an appointment?"

Everything from that moment on was a blur to nurse Brenda as the three men whipped out some impressive guns from deep within their coats. They held them over their heads and the sound of the heavy machinery resonated through the halls of PPTH. The clinic was not overly crowded that night, but there were some unlucky patients in the waiting room looking on in horror. The men whipped around to demand the attention of everyone in the clinic and the doctors passing by. There was the men shouting orders at the top of their lungs and a flurry of bodies hitting the floor as two men on the outside dead bolted the main doors shut. The largest man heard the sound of a telephone being brought up off of the receiver and reached over the counter viciously, grabbing Nurse Brenda and flinging her over the nurses' desk.

* * *

A/N: I think this is a good place to stop for now. Please review and tell me what you think! Because it's getting harder and harder to breath. 

Some spoilers for next chapter: PPTH's captors introduce themselves and lay out some ground rules; more reinforcements arrive; we get to check in on House, Wilson and his ducklings; and is Cuddy going to be captured so early in the game? Stay tuned next time to find out!


	3. Ground Rules

A/N: Thank you all for your reviews! I don't want to keep you waiting so here's the next chapter!

Disclaimer: See chapter one

* * *

Wilson walked into the diagnostics department and looked around briskly, scanning the area for House. 

Drs. Foreman, Chase, and Cameron were all lounging around the table; evidently they didn't have a case. Foreman was sitting at the head of the table reading a medical journal on diverse neurological problems. On his right sat Chase, who preferred to work on an intermediate level crossword puzzle. Cameron was standing near the coffee maker, sipping a searing hot cup of freshly brewed coffee.

"Have any of you seen House?" asked Wilson.

"Haven't seen him all day." Replied Cameron, while she walked over and took a seat next to Chase.

Foreman didn't lift his head out of his book as he added, frigidly, "he's probably in one of his hiding spots avoiding clinic duty."

"Yeah, don't worry about it; as long as House isn't here, then we don't have any cases to be bothered about." Chase chewed on his pen as he struggled with an eleven letter word for the fear of words.

Wilson sighed, "Okay, I'm going to go check coma guy's room." He turned around and took one step before being abruptly hit in the chest by the doors swinging open. The sheer force of the swing sent Wilson faltering back a couple of steps and he had to use all the control he had to keep from falling over.

Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and directed their attention to the doors to see a large, tough looking man in a dark leather coat make his way forcefully into the room. Foreman was about to say something when the man lifted his right arm, previously concealed by his hefty, yet muscular body, and revealed a powerful shotgun.

* * *

Cuddy darted towards the nearest ladder, which just so happened to be right next to the door, and flung her body at it with a force, gripping the rungs of the ladder painfully tight and ascended as hurriedly as she'd ever climbed anything in her life. "Hey, hey, hey, where are you going so fast?" 

Cuddy halted abruptly and looked down at the familiar voice. She closed her eyes and sighed as her body relaxed. After composing herself she stepped down from the ladder and leaned with her back against the wall as she took a deep breath and exclaimed, "My god, House! You scared the hell out of me!"

"Geez, what's got you wound up so tight? All I did was open a door." House said, slightly confused at her reaction, but amused by it at the same time.

"I thought you were…wait. You don't know what's going on, do you?" she asked, surprised that House didn't know something for once.

"Um, I'm avoiding clinic duty by hiding out on the roof and you're…well…you're making it a bit difficult by being here." House explained himself.

"Forget about clinic duty! Just look over the ledge." Cuddy gestured to the edge of the roof.

"Forget about clinic duty? Are you sick?" House took a step closer to Cuddy and touched her forehead with the back of his hand. Cuddy swatted his hand away.

"I'm not sick! Just take a look at the parking lot!" She continued to gesture with her hands frantically.

House gave her a weird look. "Oh, I see what's going on…you've finally snapped. You want me to go the edge so you can push me over don't you?"

Cuddy groaned in frustration and grabbed House's left arm, leading him to the edge of the roof. She stared pointedly at the men stationed all over her hospital. House followed her gaze and froze. There were now three vans parked in front of the hospital doors. "So…what exactly _is_ going on?" inquired House.

Cuddy tuned her head towards House and began to explain the situation to him and what she was planning on doing about it.

* * *

Sounds of panic and fear filled the lobby of the hospital as the men took complete and total control of the situation. "Put your backs against the wall!" one shouted. 

"Hurry up!" another yelled in a hoarse voice, while pointing his gun at a mother and her young son. They were paralyzed with fear and the man took a step closer to them, gun still drawn.

"Now, now, there's no need for that, boys," said a calm voice coming from one of the clinic waiting room chairs. The owner of the voice was silently reading a newspaper amidst all the panic and slowly lowered the paper into his lap to reveal an average looking man in his early forties, with dark black hair, graying faintly at the sides. He was clean shaven and dressed in a suit. Black slacks, black jacket, and a white shirt underneath, a few buttons at the top undone. He got up and walked until he was standing in the middle of the lobby floor.

"This will all go very smoothly if we have your cooperation." He addressed everyone on the floor with their backs now against the walls. "Here are a few rules you'll need to know to stay alive. Rule number one: don't try to be a hero." He looked at Nurse Brenda, "like that stunt you pulled with the phone." He walked over to the Nurses station and unplugged the phone. "Speaking of phones, that brings me to rule number two: Give us your cell phones." He signaled his men to retrieve everyone's cell phones. "Don't try to pretend you don't have one. _Everyone _has one. Even your children most likely." After that was done he continued. "All you have to do is sit on the floor until this is over…" he then added, "We're not here for you."

He smiled and walked over to a young man in scrubs. "You!" one of the large men picked the intern up by his unruly hair and set him on his feet. "I believe we've already asked politely, but that didn't seem to get us anywhere." He looked at Nurse Brenda, then continued, "But I'll ask again. Where can I find Dr. Cuddy? That is the Dean of this hospital, correct?"

"Um, uh, yes sir." The intern answered nervously.

"Good boy." He smiled, "You obviously have a lot to live for. Now where can I find her?"

"I, I don't, I don't know…um, I'm new here…I" the man looked at the intern carefully. He read his nametag out loud.

"Murphy…what's your first name Murphy?"

The intern looked frightened. "Jacob," he replied promptly.

"Jacob…I have a cousin named Jacob." He tried to sound friendly. "Jacob, I know you're lying to me. If you know where anything is in this hospital it's the Dean of Medicine's office. Now where is it!?" his patience was wearing thin. One of the large men stepped up besides him.

Jacob was now frightened to the point of almost wetting his pants. He pointed towards Cuddy's office. "I think it's that way." He said weakly.

"Thank you." He turned to address everyone in the lobby, "You should all take a page from Jacob's book. Just give me what I want because I'll always end up getting it in the end." He thought for a moment. "Oh, how rude of me. I didn't introduce myself. My name is Michael. My three friends here are Nate, Zach, and Tony." He gestured towards the three large men and turned his attention back to everyone. "Get comfortable, because we might be here a while." He turned and headed towards Cuddy's office.

* * *

A/N: What do you think? That was kind of just of filler chapter to get everything going. It'll get more exciting soon. Leave me some reviews! 

Next chapter: What's going to go down in the diagnostics department? What does House think about all of this? And what is Michael going to do when he finds Cuddy's office empty?


	4. Hostages

A/N: Thank you again for all your reviews, they really help me write faster. So here's the next chapter!

Disclaimer: See chapter one

* * *

"You're joking, right?" House looked at Cuddy like she was crazy. 

"Well I'm not going down there," she stated while gesturing towards the staircase leading into the hospital. "If you've got a better idea I'm all ears." Cuddy was desperately hoping that he did, indeed, have a better plan. She was beginning to become dubious about the efficiency of her own spur of the moment plan.

House shrugged his shoulders, "I'm sticking with my original plan to hide out on the roof and avoid clinic duty." He pulled his gameboy out of his pocket. "See? It's working perfectly, nothing bad has happened."

Cuddy shook her head, "Unfortunately, you can't solve all your problems by hiding."

"Hasn't failed me yet." House stated proudly.

Cuddy sighed, "Look, it's not so bad." House raised his eyebrow. "It's dark out-" House cut her off.

"And you're wearing a bright red top." He grinned, "And with the girls showing like that, you're bound to attract the attention of every one of those men out there and then some."

Cuddy threw a glare at House before continuing in an irritated tone, "It's dark out _and_ now that you're here you can help me distract them when I make a run for it." She then added, thoughtfully, "and if you're so worried about my choice of attire, I'll just wear your jacket." She reached out and touched his black leather jacket. _'He must've ridden his bike to work today_.'

He shrugged her off and wrapped his arms tightly around his torso. "No way!" he said in a childish tone, "I'm cold!"

Cuddy rolled her eyes. "Look, we don't have much time. We don't know what's going on down there." She couldn't stand the thought of someone else being in control of her hospital while she hid out on the roof. "We've got to get moving before they send someone up to check the roof." She headed over to the first ladder. House didn't move. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Cuddy was growing impatient.

House held up his cane and waved it around in the air. "You expect me to climb up and down all over this roof with you?" He said incredulously.

Cuddy sighed once again, "You have your pager, right?"

"Yeah" House replied before checking his pocked for it.

"You can stay here and keep an eye on things. Page me if something goes wrong." She then resumed her climbing, but then added as an afterthought, "And no matter what, _don't _go in the hospital!"

* * *

Everyone in the Diagnostics department had stood up abruptly in shock, causing Cameron to toss her coffee cup in the air and land effectively on Chase's lap. Chase yelped from the burning pain now residing in his lap as the man spoke up. "Get down on the ground. NOW!" Still considerably stunned and a little skeptical, they all got down to their knees slowly and flattened out to lie on their stomachs. 

"What do you want?" asked Wilson as he lifted his chin up to look at the man.

"Yeah, what could a guy with a gun want when House isn't here?" Foreman mumbled to himself.

The man took a seat in the chair foreman had just vacated at the head of the table and set his gun down in front of him. "This hospital has been taken under new management…so to speak." He said, patting his gun gently with his rough hands.

* * *

Michael darted back into the lobby of the hospital and stopped to stand in the middle, once again. He was noticeably livid and appeared as though he would explode any minute. "Where is she!" he yelled, enraged. He turned slowly in a complete 360 to stare intently at every single patient, nurse, and doctor present. "Well?" his fists clenched until his knuckles whitened and walked over to one of his men, whispering something into his ear. Tony nodded sharply and walked over to a teenage girl, picking her up roughly by her arm and holding her back against his chest, his gun pressed directly into her temple. The girl screamed and struggled against Tony, but to no avail. 

Michael spoke again, "Where! Is! She!" he spoke each word clearly and distinctively. When he got no answer except that of numerous petrified faces turned in the direction of the now weeping girl, he pulled out his cell phone and flipped it open. The only thing he said was, "Find her" in a menacing tone of voice before shutting his phone closed and shoving it back into his pocket.

He turned his attention back to the cowering people. "I know someone knows where she is." He turned to the struggling girl. "If I am not speaking directly to Dr. Lisa Cuddy in fifteen minutes…" He gestured gently towards the sobbing girl, "then the girl dies," he said calmly.

* * *

A/N: So many questions, so little answers. But in regards to the quality of the story, I got to take it slow. You'll get your answers soon enough. I'm going to go with a new metaphor here. Your reviews are like gasoline, I write (drive) faster with than without them. And gas is expensive, so don't make me go out and buy some, your reviews will do just fine. 

Next chapter: The search is on for Cuddy. Will she be found? Should she be found? That will decide the fate of that poor girl.


	5. Time Crunch

A/N: Thanks again to my reviewers. You guys are great! This one's for you, I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: as always, see chapter one

* * *

Cameron moaned faintly in frustration as she swayed back and forth on her stomach. They had been lying on the floor for at least thirty minutes now and it was becoming rather uncomfortable for all of them. The entire right side of Chase's face had turned a bright red from resting it against the carpet for too long and he had switched sides only minutes ago after he had become conscious of it. 

As he tuned his head for the sixth time in one minute, he discerned the state of the large man who was holding them captive. He had sunk further into the chair and had propped his feet up onto the table, crossing them over each other at the ankles. His head hung haphazardly over the top of the chair, yet he still managed a firm grip on his gun which he had placed possessively over his lap.

Chase nudged Foreman on the shoulder and with a nod of the head, signaled with his now pink face for Foreman to look in the direction of the sleeping man. Foreman smirked slightly and suppressed a laugh when he caught sight of the condition of Chase's face, but his smirk escalated into a full blown grin when he took in their captor's current state of unconsciousness. Chase then turned to his left to nudge Cameron, who in turn got Wilson's attention as they all stared at the man, then back at each other.

* * *

House sighed. He was now sitting on the floor, his back resting against the same wall Cuddy had ascended only minutes ago. He was now up to level eight and groaned in annoyance as he died in the same exact spot he did in his past couple of attempts. The battery was getting low and it urged him to turn it off as it blinked repeatedly at him. He put the game down and got up, grabbing his cane in the process and began to pace by the edge of the roof. 

He looked down and surveyed the parking lot. The men were still in the same spot they were in the last time he checked, which by his watch would have been ten minutes ago. He was getting progressively more bored by the minute and wondered where Cuddy was. He limped over to the ladder where he had last seen her and looked up the length of it. It wasn't too bad, maybe only six feet or so.

He hooked his cane onto the top rung of the ladder and placed his left foot on the bottom rung. He lifted himself up and gingerly placed his right foot along side his left one. He grabbed the side rails of the ladder as high as he could reach and used all of his upper body strength that he had to lift his entire body, effectively skipping about five rungs, until his left foot came in contact with another rung high up on the ladder. His hands now touched the top of the ladder where it met ground and his left foot was supported by the second to top rung of the ladder while his right leg dangled helplessly beneath it. He extended his left leg up and his body once again ascended, his right leg trailing behind quickly. He turned suddenly and his bottom met ground as he sat on the edge, overlooking where he had just been. He inhaled deeply and grabbed his right leg in both hands, swinging it over the edge to join his left. He retrieved his cane from its place on the ladder and brought it up to join him as he lie on his back, catching his breath.

He didn't have much time to rest as he heard a sudden noise from below him. He jerked abruptly into a sitting position and peered over the edge. He caught sight of the door opening and a tall figure emerging from it before he scanned the roof for any sign of Cuddy. When he didn't find her, he reached inside his pocked, grabbed his pager, and typed a message frantically to Cuddy.

* * *

Michael looked at his watch and then turned his head slowly to gaze at the sobbing girl, whom by her mother's frightened screams he deduced her name to be Tiffany. He ambled over to her and reached up to run his fingers through her long blond hair. She struggled some more against Tony and shook her head to free her hair from Michael's fingers. Michael withdrew his hand and frowned at the girl. "Don't worry, it's only been ten minutes." He looked from her to the frightened onlookers and spoke again, "You have five whole minutes left for one of these nice people to give up some information and save your life." When no one said anything he turned back to the girl and shrugged his shoulders. "I guess not."

* * *

A/N: I believe that what I lack in word count I make up for in how frequently I update. It saddens me to inform you that my mom is planning a trip in which I will be gone for quite some time. This may be the last update until I return, which unfortunately will probably be until school resumes again in which I will have very limited free time to write. I assure you that I am not abandoning this fic, but simply putting it on hold. So while I'm gone leave me some reviews! You know how bad those long trips can be fuel wise. 

Next Chapter: What are Wilson and the ducklings planning on doing with their newfound information? Can House warn Cuddy in time? How will House cope in the face of danger? What is the fate of poor Tiffany? And most importantly...what will my next review prompting metaphor be? So many questions so little…well, you know.


	6. Close Encounters

A/N: Heck yes! I updated! Don't you just love me? But this will definitely be the last update for a while. I can't believe I managed to finish this chapter. So without further ado, here's one last chapter for the road.

Disclaimer: see chapter one

* * *

Wilson, Foreman, Chase, and Cameron got up slowly and stretched out their muscles silently, all the while monitoring the sleeping man. Chase almost fell over when he got up because both his feet had fallen asleep, but managed to lean on Cameron's shoulder for support as she was right next to him, avoiding a potentially dire situation as he could have fallen backwards into the white board and produced a good amount of noise. 

There was a snap as one of Wilson's bones in his back popped and everyone in the room looked at him in horror, then at the man in the chair. They all silently sighed in relief as they saw that he was still sleeping peacefully. Wilson gave an embarrassed smile to the others and they rolled their eyes in response.

* * *

House peered over the ledge to scrutinize the tall man who had just entered through the staircase below him. He was dressed entirely in black with a long black trench coat that hung to about knee length covering a black t-shirt, black jeans, and boots that echoed their sound throughout the now vaguely foggy, night air with every step he took. 

House lay completely still as the man walked the length of the roof again and again, careful not to miss anything. He stopped unexpectedly and seemed to be contemplating something as he drummed his fingers on his cell phone, but the drumming ceased as he turned his head in House's direction and caught sight of the ladder. House stopped breathing for a moment before he realized that he needed to hide--and fast, as the man made his way nearer and nearer.

House stayed on the ground and rolled as swiftly as his leg would allow him to away from the ladder and approaching man. His back made contact with the solid surface of a wall and he stopped. He turned his head to where he had just made a hasty retreat from and anticipated the appearance of the man, once again.

As expected, the man appeared from below and stood up to continue his search. From the previous angle House had of peering down upon the man he had appeared tall, but from this new angle with House on the ground looking up at the man House realized that he had seriously misjudged the man's true stature. He must have been almost seven feet tall.

House quieted his breathing as the man shook his head and pulled out his cell phone. House listened intently, but could only hear the man mutter something along the lines of 'she's not here' to someone on the other end. He shut his phone and crooked his head abruptly in House's direction. House remained as quiet as possible as the man turned around and walked closer to where he was hiding in the darkest corner of the roof, but seemed to change his mind as he turned around again and decended the ladder quickly. House remained still where he was just in case the man came back and didn't move until he heard the sound of the door slowly creaking open and shutting closed. House let out a breath of relief. '_That was close_.' But he was not completely thrilled as he realized that the man had obviously not gotten what he had came for and hoped that Cuddy was not in any trouble. He stood up hurriedly, much to the protest of his leg, and hastily made his way down the path that Cuddy would have taken across the roof.

* * *

Cuddy sat down and caught her breath as she placed her feet on the top rung of the ladder leading down to where she would be able to reach one of her employee's balconies. She glanced behind her and took a look at the length of the hospital's roof that she had come across in such a short period of time. She began to climb down as her pager unexpectedly went off. She reached for it with one hand while the other kept a firm grip on the ladder. Cuddy's face paled as panic once again rose up inside of her. Quickly placing her pager back in its spot on the hem of her pants she continued her decent rapidly down the ladder. 

Her feet barely made contact with solid ground as a rough hand came down forcefully upon hers. It grabbed her aggressively and began to pull her back up fiercely. She struggled and tried to maintain her grip on the ladder with her right hand and used her body weight to keep her from being pulled up any higher. She leaned backward as she pulled with all her strength to free herself and succeeded as the man stumbled forward and let her go from fear of falling over the edge and she fell to the ground with a thud, knocking the breath right out of her.

She got up as quickly as she could and turned to run when she came into contact with a solid object. She looked up to see that she had run straight into a very broad chest. She turned again and saw that the man formerly trying to grab her had descended down the ladder, and was now standing within inches of her. _'Oh, shit' _she thought for the second time that night. She decided to give in as she realized that she stood no chance at escaping as long as she was sandwiched between two exceptionally large men.

* * *

Michael checked his watch and began to stroll leisurely towards Tiffany. He turned and stared at everyone in the lobby. "I'll ask one more time. Where is she?" When no one answered he shook his head. "Well, then consider yourselves responsible for making this poor woman have to bury her daughter." He said, gesturing to the girl's mother. "I mean, no one should have to go through something like that." He tried to sound sympathetic, but it came out sarcastic when he said it with a smile and a slight chuckle. He turned back to the girl and signaled for Tony to finish the job. Amidst all the panic and terrified screams coming from Tiffany's mother, he somehow managed to hear his cell phone go off. He held up his had to Tony who was currently tightening his grip on the trigger and answered his phone. A grin broke out on his face as he listened to the other person on the phone. As he snapped his phone shut he looked over at Tiffany. "You're a very lucky girl." He said, still smiling. Tony released her and Tiffany ran to her mother, sobbing uncontrollably as her mother embraced her, thankful that she would not have to go through the daunting task of burying her daughter anytime during her own lifetime.

* * *

A/N: So you're probably loving me for updating or hating me for updating with another answerless chapter. Regardless, you should still review. But first, as promised, my next metaphor! Your reviews are like vicodin; they make me feel good and are highly addictive. And of course, they'll take away the pain I'll be feeling for not being able to update for a while…or be able to get on the computer. So feed my addiction and give me some of them delicious narcotics to ease my pain. I should probably get to packing. Later! 

Next Chapter: The long awaited for confrontation between Michael and Cuddy!!! Stay tuned to find out what the heck is going on here!


	7. Confrontations

A/N: I'm baaack. The trip was alright, but I'd rather be here at home. I hope the wait didn't kill you; otherwise I'd have no one to write for. But if you're still alive, without further ado, here's the next chapter!

Disclaimer: see chapter one…if you haven't caught on by now…

* * *

House bent over and rested his hands against his legs as he caught his breath. '_Where the hell is she?_' thought House. He didn't know how long he'd been searching the roof for Cuddy and his current state of exhaustion brought up thoughts of quitting, but the thought lasted only briefly before being quickly erased by his need to make sure that Cuddy was safe. 

House looked off into the distance and caught sight of some movement quite a distance away. The movement was so vague that House wasn't sure if it was real or just his imagination. He peered intensely through the darkness now covered thickly with fog at the exact same spot where he thought he saw the movement. After a few moments of nothing happening House broke his stare and continued on his journey across the hospital's roof with renewed interest.

House sat down on another ledge of the roof next to another ladder and took a deep breath to prepare his leg for yet another decent. Just as he hooked his cane on the cold surface of the top rung of the ladder he heard a noise that he distinctly recognized as the sound of footsteps. He strained his ears to listen more carefully and was able to make out at least two different types of footsteps. One was heavy and accompanied by the sound of metal clinking together as if he had a gun strapped to him somewhere, while the other lighter one he had grown accustom to dodging around the nearest corner whenever he heard them approaching. _'Cuddy!_' his mind screamed at him to jump off the ledge and run after her, but he remained frozen to the spot as he made out the silhouettes of two rather large men on either side of the womanly figure he recognized even in the dark of night and dense fog to be none other than Lisa Cuddy.

He remained where he was while his brain worked in overdrive to produce some idea of how to help Cuddy when the two men ushered her into a staircase leading down into the hospital. House shook his head of his thoughts that were currently getting him nowhere and sprung into action as he latched onto the side of the ladder with only his hands and slid down the ladder swiftly, tightening his grip on the ladder with his hands as he neared the bottom to slow him down, lessening the impact as he made contact with the bottom, landing on his left leg. He ignored the pain in his right leg that had shot straight through his entire body from the impact absorbed from his landing and limped as quickly as he could, after grabbing his cane from above, towards the staircase doors.

A light drop of moisture hit House on the tip of his nose and he brushed it off absentmindedly. The drops multiplied with every step he took until a steady downpour came down lightly from the sky above. House ignored it and continued his hurried pace towards the doors that the two men had led Cuddy down into. The entire time Cuddy's words occupied his mind. _'And no matter what, don't go in the hospital!'_

* * *

Wilson and the others in the diagnostics department were all huddled together in a small, closed circle quietly discussing possible escape plans. "We can't just walk right out through the doors!" Cameron whispered to the group. 

"Well why not? It's not like _he'll_ stop us!" Chase pointed towards the quietly snoring gunman.

"He will if he wakes up!" Cameron sounded genuinely worried that he would wake up at any moment.

"Then we'll just have to knock him out." Added Foreman with a shrug of his shoulders.

They went silent as they all looked at each other realizing what they had to do. Wilson was the first to speak up, "We could hit him over the head with a coffee cup." They seemed to think it over as they looked across the room for anything bigger or harder that they could utilize.

Cameron pointed towards the whiteboard and was about to speak up when Foreman beat her to it. "We can hit him over the back of the head with these chairs." Everyone nodded their heads and went to pick up a chair.

The gunman was still sleeping peacefully, completely oblivious to the fact that he was about to be assaulted by a series of chairs to the head. Wilson, Chase, and Foreman each took a chair and held it in a striking position as if they were holding a baseball bat and stood around the sleeping man. There weren't enough chairs for Cameron and she gladly stepped back.

Wilson lifted his left hand from the chair and pointed to himself, then Foreman, and then Chase. Wilson replaced his hand on the chair and tightened his grip as all three men nodded in understanding. Wilson raised the chair high up over his head and prepared to strike with as much force as he had within him when Cameron emitted a small yelp.

Wilson stopped mid air and turned to look at Cameron. She had one hand over her mouth and the other pointed out into the hallway. At her frightened expression, they all glanced out through the glass walls and their eyes grew wide as they caught sight of three people making their way down the hallway towards the diagnostics department.

Wilson, Foreman, and Chase scurried away from the snoring man as quickly as possible, put the chairs back into their original places under the table and hit the ground along side Cameron, who was already on her stomach with her hands placed on top of her head. They cursed under their breath and shook their heads, which were securely placed under their intertwined fingers and lifted their chins off the floor slightly to catch a glance at the approaching figures.

They sucked in a sharp breath as the footsteps became louder and they met the worried eyes of Lisa Cuddy accompanied by two rough looking men. Cuddy slowed down as she took in with her own eyes what was happening in the diagnostics department. She picked up her pace abruptly and tore her eyes away from her doctors as she appeared to be jabbed in the ribs with a handgun.

Wilson's face hardened and he moved to get up when Foreman and Chase put a hand on his shoulder, effectively stopping him from doing something stupid. Wilson cursed again though clenched teeth when he realized that there was nothing he could do.

Movement from the far end of the room caught everyone's attention. They internally cursed this time as the gunman stirred in his sleep before sitting up abruptly and tightening his grip on his gun. Foreman suppressed the urge to ask the man if he had a good nap and followed suit with what everyone else was doing which was lying on the floor and turning their heads in the opposite direction of the man as if they hadn't known he was taking a nap, if only to not anger the man and have him make up for it and prove his dominance by hurting them in some way.

'_This is going to be a long night._' Everyone in the diagnostics department had the same thought in their mind. Probably even the gunman who seemed to be disappointed to have awoken from his dream.

* * *

"Keep moving." With a gun jabbed into her ribs, Cuddy put up little protest as she continued down the empty hallways of her once bustling with energy hospital. Patients weren't being tended to, departments were shut down, and her doctors were being held captive. She didn't like this at all. 

Her thoughts and observations were cut short as she was shoved roughly into her own office and the two men disappeared somewhere down the empty hallway. She wasn't expecting to be left alone in her own office but her uncertainties where abolished upon further inspection.

Sitting in her chair behind her desk was a man who looked so comfortable in her office that he might as well have owned the place. He had abandoned his jacket which now hung neatly on her coat rack, leaving him in his white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His black slacks and overly polished shoes where extended out across the length of her desk, but he leisurely removed them upon Cuddy's entrance.

He threw a charming smile her way, "Dr. Cuddy, I've been expecting you."

'_Well I wasn't expecting you._' She decided not to voice her thoughts out loud.

"You're an extremely hard woman to find." Michael got out of Cuddy's chair and began walking towards her. "That's not a very good quality to have in this type of situation." He stopped walking within about three feet of her. "It could…oh, I don't know…get someone killed." He pretended to think about that and said the last part with a small grin on his face and a slight shrug of his shoulders.

Cuddy managed to conceal her look of bewilderment considerably well and decided to get straight to the point if she wanted to get these guys out of her hospital. "What do you want?"

Michael's face seemed to brighten as she asked this and he responded, "I see you don't like to waste time. That's good because neither do I." he continued enthusiastically, "We're such similar creatures, doctor Cuddy." He took a step closer to her.

Cuddy stood her ground firmly, refusing to be intimidated. "I don't think that's a fair statement," Cuddy said, "You don't even know me."

"Oh, I know you doctor Cuddy." He said factually, "But you don't know me do you? I'm so sorry. I forgot to introduce myself again." He put his charming smile back on his face and extended his hand to Cuddy. "My name is Michael Wolfe." When Cuddy didn't shake his hand he merely lowered it slowly. "You can call me Michael."

When Cuddy didn't respond Michael continued, "We both want the same thing doctor Cuddy."

"I'm not so sure about that." Cuddy was becoming increasingly uncomfortable around this Michael guy, who had somehow managed to lessen the gap between them to only a few inches without her noticing.

"Oh, but we do doctor Cuddy." Michael stepped out of Cuddy's personal space for a moment to retrieve a file off of her desk. "You see, you may not know me, but I think you might know my friend." He strolled back over to Cuddy and presented the file to her, which she hesitantly took from his outstretched hand.

He watched her face as she expertly scanned over the files. Her initial look of concentration was replaced instantaneously by one of surprise soon after she began to comprehend what she was reading in the mysterious file. With one final look on her face she slowly brought her eyes up out of the file to stare incredulously at Michael.

"You do." Michael stated plainly upon seeing the look of recognition and realization on Cuddy's face.

* * *

A/N: Is it just me or is this chapter longer than my usual? You're welcome. But I think that I've left you in the dark still…sorry about that. But I think I'll stop this right here for now and update my other fic that I've kind of been ignoring as of lately. I haven't quite overdosed on vicodin yet so keep them coming! I've even enabled anonymous reviews so even you 'non prescription' readers should leave me a review! Remember the higher I am on vicodin, prescription or not, the faster I write! 

Next Chapter (Because patience is definitely _not_ a virtue): More dialogue between Cuddy and Michael. What's in that file? To go into the hospital or not to go into the hospital…that it House's question. Will Wilson and the ducklings ever get another chance to escape? All that and possibly even more coming up next time!


	8. Motives

A/N: Thanks again for all your great reviews! I think you'll enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: see chapter…what was it again…oh yeah, chapter one.

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The doctors in the diagnostics department remained in their familiar places on the ground in silence as the hefty man chewed contently on an apple. Cameron shifted uncomfortably on the ground. "Um…" she began timidly. The gunman stared at her intently. "I need to use the restroom." she stated apprehensively. No one said anything as the large man slowed his chewing while he contemplated letting the seemingly innocent looking young doctor use the bathroom. 

Wilson, Foreman, and Chase narrowed their eyes in confusion at Cameron's request. Either she genuinely needed to use the restroom, which was quite possible as they had been confined in the same room for possibly a few hours, or it just might be their second chance at escape. They anxiously awaited the man's decision and were pleased when he simply nodded his head in approval.

Cameron pushed herself up off the floor and made it to her feet, but was stopped from going anywhere by the man's gruff voice. "Hold it right there." She turned toward the gunman and watched him pull out his cell phone. Wilson and the other's hopes were crushed as they listened to him call for someone to escort Cameron to the restroom. As if on cue, a lean man appeared on the other side of the glass walls and Cameron walked with him down the halls, his hand grasping her upper arm lightly to keep her from entertaining ideas of running away. They rounded the corner and disappeared from vision, leaving only the men alone in the room together.

* * *

House froze as his hand grasped the door handle firmly. He understood why Cuddy didn't want him to go down there, but told himself that it would be ineffective for him to stay on the roof and do absolutely nothing. He weighed his options and decided to go with his gut. '_It's never been wrong before_.' 

The rain poured down on him harder as lightning flashed faintly in the distance, temporarily illuminating the darkness consuming the foggy air all around him. House tightened his grip on the door handle. '_Since when have I ever listened to Cuddy?_'

* * *

Cuddy continued to stare at Michael in disbelief. "How could I forget?" Cuddy closed the folder carefully, never breaking eye contact with Michael. "But what do you expect me to do about it?" 

"I expect you to do what you do every day when you walk through those doors." He gesticulated behind him outside towards the main hospital doors. "Like I said, we both want the same thing doctor Cuddy."

Cuddy extended her arm out, as if to give the file back to Michael. "You might need to clarify that for me because I'm not so sure I'm following you."

Again, he furtively invaded her personal space. "I may not be a doctor, but my motives are as pure as yours." Cuddy pressed the file against Michael's chest firmly, effectively keeping him where he was. "You pride yourself in saving lives," he stated, "I'm not asking much from you doctor Cuddy." He grasped the folder and thrust it back towards her. "Only your cooperation to help save_ this_ life." His voice was uncompromising.

"You know I can't do that," replied Cuddy decisively as she once again opened the file and skimmed through it. "He's-" Michael bolted forward unexpectedly and shoved Cuddy backwards ruthlessly, pinning her mercilessly against the wall behind her. Cuddy let out a panicked yelp as the file and its contents fell chaotically onto the floor all around them.

"He's going to live is what he is!" bellowed Michael sternly. "And you better pray to whoever the hell it is you pray to that he does, or you'll be in for a hell of a lot more than you bargained for!" The unadulterated malevolence in his eyes frightened Cuddy to her core and she found herself favoring the quiet, polite façade he had been putting up earlier.

The ringing of a cell phone caused Michael to release his vindictive grip on Cuddy's shoulder and take a step back. Cuddy remained where she was against the wall, provisionally unable to move as her brain registered the physical and verbal altercation that had just ensued. "You have five minutes," snarled Michael, as he spared a quick glance at the scattered papers all over the floor, "you better get started." he added sardonically. He turned his back to Cuddy and walked out of her office as he answered his phone.

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A/N: Hmm…you still don't know _exactly_ what's going on do you? I'm sure things will clear up in the next chapter. I wanted to get this chapter posted before I went to bed. And I did! So I'm pretty tired…but I'll give you a new metaphor before I pass out from exhaustion. Your reviews are like firewood. They keep my fire burning! So toss a couple of logs my way if you could and don't let my flame burn out! But those extra long reviews are more like lighter fluid if you know what I mean. A couple of those would really get me going! 

Next Chapter: What will happen to House? Will all that testosterone cause anything to go down in the diagnostics department? And what exactly is up with Michael and his friend? What is Cuddy going to do about it? _Can_ Cuddy do anything about it? So…yeah you know the drill…I'm going to bed now…


	9. Taking Chances

A/N: I'm sooo sorry this took so long. I've been _way_ to busy, but hopefully this chapter makes up for the wait!

Disclaimer: see chapter one

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House was having a hell of a time making his way down the stairs. Running around the roof hiding from men with guns could really take its toll on a person. From the moment he had entered the hospital he was immediately hit with a gust of cold air from the air conditioning system. That combined with the dampness of his clothes sent a shiver up his spine and a new tightness to form in his right thigh. He hated the cold, it did nothing but irritate his leg which was why he despised the winter season so much. 

He returned his attention back ahead of him. It wouldn't be very smart to get caught now only because he was too distracted by his pain to watch where he was going. He reached into his pocked for the familiar shape of his pill bottle and dry swallowed two vicodin. With the pain dulling out again, he took the last couple of steps down the stairs and paused to peer around the corner. Being extra cautious, he looked both ways twice and even listened for footsteps as an added precaution before taking off as stealthily as possible for a man with a cane.

* * *

Cameron's mind was racing. _'Should I do something?'_ she thought. _'If I make a run for it he might shoot me. If I don't…I'll be back in the break room in fear of being shot.'_ Cameron's pace slowed as she weighed her options. _'But where would I run to?'_ she looked up and down the empty halls of the hospital. _'There're plenty of places to hide. House hides from Cuddy every day. It can't be that difficult.' _Cameron and her escort made a stop just outside the restroom doors and she looked the man carefully. He wasn't as big as any of the other men she had seen guarding departments and patrolling the hallways. _'I bet I could take him.'_

* * *

Wilson, Chase, and Foreman all looked at each other, each trying to determine nonverbally if they should do something or not. They were all thinking somewhere along the same lines. They had a three to one advantage, but at the same time, what difference does it make how many people you have when there's a gun involved. And if they did somehow manage to incapacitate him and sneak away, they would need to somehow find Cameron and take down her escort as well. 

Wilson was the first to realize all of this and decided for all of them by simply breaking eye contact and resting his head gently against the old carpet of the floor. The others got the message and also relaxed. They would have to wait until their captor's next naptime.

* * *

House took a turn around the next corner, but quickly stepped back and pressed his back against the wall to avoid being seen when he saw two figures standing in the hallway. Once he regained his composure, he turned his head to glance at the figures, still keeping his body flat against the wall. House was surprised when he realized exactly who it was he was looking at. 

He watched Cameron as she sized the man up and anxiety rose inside of him when he realized well before her escort did what she was about to do. _'Don't do anything stupid!'_ thought House frantically. His fears were eradicated momentarily when she turned and reached for the door handle to the women's restroom, but were replaced quickly when she used the elbow of that same hand to jab forcefully into the man's ribs. He hunched over with a grunt of pain and cradled his stomach lightly. Cameron regretted what she had done instantly and watched the man's face flush with anger as he stood up abruptly, the pain in his ribs long gone, and raise his hand high over his head. Cameron was frozen with fear and was only able to close her eyes and wait for the impending blow.

A loud cracking sound resonated throughout the hallway followed by the sound of a body hitting the floor. Cameron flinched at the sound and waited for the pain to course through her body. When nothing came she opened her eyes apprehensively. Instead of seeing the fuming man in front of her with his hand raised threateningly, her eyes made contact with none other than Gregory House. Cameron was still too shocked to say anything and looked down at the man lying soundlessly on the cold tiles, bits and pieces of wood scattered all around him. She was broken from her adrenaline induced haze by the sound of House's voice. "Damn…" he held a look of disappointment on his gruff face. "That was my favorite cane."

* * *

Cuddy sat behind her desk with the inauspicious file in hand. Her shoulder still ached from where Michael's fingers had barred into her flesh and could still feel his breath so close to her face as he threatened her. She shook her mind of that memory and tried not to remember the menacing look in his eyes as he did so. She turned her full attention back to the file in hand and tried to figure out what to do. She didn't know if there was anything that she _could_ do. This person obviously meant a lot to Michael, but the information in the file was clear. He was dying.

* * *

"What the hell were you thinking?" asked House and he grabbed the man's feet. 

"I don't know." answered Cameron honestly, lifting the man's arms. They carried the small man easily along the hallway a short distance and stopped beside a storage closet.

"Well don't do anything like that again." ordered House, "I don't have anymore canes to spare." Cameron opened the door and House dragged the now bound and gagged man into the closet. House checked the man's pockets and took the harness off from around the man's waist that held a handgun. He attached it around his own waist and made sure the gun was on safety before securing it in its holster beside his hip.

"How long do you think he'll be out?" inquired Cameron as she watched House take the man's gun.

House smiled faintly. "Judging by the looks of him, he won't be escorting anymore doctors to the John anytime soon. But if you want I can hit him over the head a couple of times, just to be safe." He raised what was left of his cane in the air.

"I don't think that'll be necessary." said Cameron. "Come on, let's go." she turned and headed in the direction of the diagnostics department.

"Whoa, wait up!" Cameron stopped and turned around. "Where do you think you're going?"

"We've got to get Wilson and the others." she said gesturing eagerly down the hallway.

"No we don't." said House simply. "They're big boys; they can take care of themselves." Cameron looked at him incredulously. "Besides, like I said, I don't have anymore canes left." He turned and began to walk in the other direction.

"You have a gun." she said, starring pointedly at his hip, where the gun would be under his jacket.

"You want me to _shoot_ someone?" House asked in amazement at Cameron's implication.

Cameron shook her head and waved her arms in a never mind gesture. "Well then what are we supposed to do?"

'_I don't know about you, but I need to find Cuddy.'_ On any other day he wouldn't care what Cameron did, but in these conditions he didn't want to leave her by herself. "Well, you've already proved that you can't fend for yourself so you can come with me to Cuddy's office." He didn't know where they had taken Cuddy, but he figured her office would be a good place to start his search for her. Cameron didn't ask why he was going to Cuddy's office, but simply followed him, grateful that he wasn't going to leave her alone.

* * *

A/N: This might be my last update for a while with school starting and all that…but don't worry…I'll try my best to update as soon as I can! Just leave me some of your reviews that I love so much and I might be inspired to write faster! and I feel stupid for saying that anonymous reviews were enabled when they really weren't. I distinctly remember enabeling them, but I guess I didn't. But they are enabled now so please review! 

Oh, and here's a little reader's challenge: Without going back and checking, how many times has House popped pills in this story? I was just wondering...it wouldn't be too good if I made House overdose without knowing it!

Next Chapter: Will House and Cameron make it safely to Cuddy's office? And what will Cuddy decide to do? Will House get there in time to help the situation any? More excitement to come in the next chapter!


	10. Distraction

A/N: I'm so swamped with work right now...I hope this makes up for any wait

Disclaimer: see chapter one

* * *

House and Cameron came to a halt and leaned against the wall, peering over the corner cautiously to gaze at the disorder of the nurses' station. Frightened faces and armed men occupied the area between them and Cuddy's office. House and Cameron looked at each other. 

"What are we going to do?" whispered Cameron.

House returned his gaze towards the situation, keeping a watchful eye on what was going on around him. There were at least three large men controlling the entire area, but for now their backs were turned to himself and Cameron, carefully monitoring their hostages like a cat would eye a caged bird. It might be easy enough to walk right behind them and into Cuddy's office, if not for the one anxious looking man in a neatly pressed suit pacing back and forth frantically, his gaze switching back and forth periodically between Cuddy's office, his watch, and the chained and locked front doors to the hospital which were being rattled fiercely by the screaming wind outside.

"We need a distraction." stated House, looking at Cameron with a knowing smirk on his face.

Cameron nodded her head in agreement, but then stopped abruptly in realization. Her eyes widened. "No!" she whispered harshly, "no way." she stated finally.

"Well okay," said House indifferently, "I guess we'll just stay here and wait to be caught." he crossed his arms and leaned casually against the wall. Cameron sighed and looked at House menacingly.

"Fine." she huffed. "What do you need me to do?"

* * *

The gunman in the diagnostics department gave a frustrated groan as he shifted only his eyes to read the clock on the wall. Wilson and the others became worried. Cameron had been gone for entirely too long. Something bad must have happened and the gunman was visibly becoming incensed at the fact that he was unaware of the whereabouts of one of his hostages. 

The large man took out his cell phone and dialed a number. They could hear the ringing on the other end of the phone through the quietness of the room and their wordiness escalated as the gunman flipped the phone shut roughly upon receiving no answer, lifted himself from the chair with a heavy sigh and slung the strap holding his gun across his broad shoulders. He looked across the floor at the doctors and seemed to be contemplating something before he reached out to grab a chair. Wilson and the other's stiffened, but relaxed as the man instead of knocking them unconscious as they had feared, took the chair with him as he opened the door to the department and closed it behind him, hooking the chair under the door handle.

With one last threatening look inside the department towards the doctors, saying if you try anything I'll kill you, he turned on his heel and took off in the same direction they had last seen Cameron depart minutes ago.

The doctors all looked at each other ecstatically. Wilson raised an eyebrow towards the direction of the door, while they all began to laugh incredulously at their captor's stupidity. They pushed themselves gratefully off of the floor and stretched their aching muscles once again. Foreman shook his head, still laughing slightly, and made his way to the door connecting the diagnostics break room with House's office, the others following behind knowingly. The gunman obviously didn't know the place well enough to lock the door to the break room _and_ House's office. The door opened with a satisfactory click and they made their way through the opening of the door into House's office and out into the empty hallways of the hospital.

* * *

"Now," commanded House. Cameron stealthily rolled across the floor to the other end of the hallway and pressed her back against the wall, breathing heavily from the adrenaline and peered around the corner to see if anyone had seen her. She breathed a sigh of relief at not being caught, but this wasn't the end. She had to make herself known and cause a commotion while House snuck into Cuddy's office unnoticed. She pushed her coat off of her shoulders and let it slip down her arms. She bunched it up and tossed it aside, hiding next to her behind the wall. It wouldn't be too good if they knew she was a doctor. 

She had to admit that House's plan was a little crazy if not plain idiotic, but it was all they had. If she wanted to cause a major distraction she couldn't just waltz down there casually, she had to go crazy. The only way to do that with the least chance of getting shot immediately would be to pose as a mental patient. They would never suspect a mental patient of trying to deceive them, a doctor yes, but not a crazy person. She grabbed a gown from a cart outside a room next to her and slid it on over her present clothes. She mussed her hair and looked over at House for his signal.

If House wasn't so concentrated on the situation before him he would have laughed at Cameron's current image. But this wasn't the time to laugh. He carefully watched the gunmen, especially the man in the suit. He didn't have a gun on him as far as House knew. Or at least not one he could see, but for some reason House knew he was the one he had to look out for the most. House held his hand up and continued to gaze at the men. Once they were right where House wanted them he threw his hand down and Cameron sprung forth. House watched the act play out in front of him for a moment and then made his move. He got up and limped as quickly and quietly towards Cuddy's office as possible.

Things seemed to move at quarter speed for Cameron. She jumped up and ran towards the nurses' station screaming incoherent sentences to no one in particular. She acquired the attention of the gunmen within seconds and they seemed dumbstruck for a moment. She was running back and forth along the wall to bring their attention away from House's direction. The men regained their composure and went to apprehend her. Cameron kept her act up and was relieved to watch House slip into Cuddy's office unnoticed. Mission accomplished, she thought before she was grabbed roughly and dragged to the floor, effectively stopping her hysterical screaming.

* * *

The door to Cuddy's office was forced open suddenly, accompanied by a deafening clap of thunder. Cuddy's head jerked up suddenly, and was surprised to see House quickly and quietly shut the door, and walk up to her desk. "House!" Cuddy was surprised, thankful, and yet exasperated to see House standing in front of her. "What the hell are you doing here?" she asked for the second time that day. 

"I got bored." said House.

Cuddy sighed; she should have known he would defy her sooner or later. "Forget it," she said, "I'm actually glad you're here for once." she handed the file to House. He accepted it with a look of curiosity and read it over.

"What's this?" he asked, not certain of why he was reading a patient's file.

"It's the reason they're here." she answered him, gesturing towards her doors. "And unfortunately…our only way out of this."

* * *

A/N: Unfortunately I have no time for a metaphor...or anything else...please read and review! Things are about to get interesting :D 


	11. Taking Action

**A/N: ****My apologies for the wait, and no, I did not fall off the edge of the earth; that was only my social life and free time you saw. But thankfully it managed to grab hold of a limb and crawl its way back up long enough for me to write this next chapter. So once again I'm sooo sorry this took so long, but I won't make you wait any longer by apologizing anymore, so please read, review, and most importantly, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: see chapter one, or any other chapter that will inevitably lead you back to chapter one.**

* * *

House closed the file and slid it deftly across the smooth surface of Cuddy's desk and back into her awaiting hands with a quizzical expression adorning his weary features. 

"Did you neglect to mention to them the futility of holding a hospital hostage for a patient who has absolutely no chance of survival whatsoever?" House questioned Cuddy while making his way now cane-less away from Cuddy's desk and towards the comfort of one of the couches adjacent to the door separating himself and Cuddy from the commotion surrounding the nurses' station.

"Somehow I don't perceive that going over too well." Cuddy replied curtly, "They're not quite as understanding as you are." she added sarcastically, rising from her chair with the file still in hand and moving quickly to join House on the couch. "I have a feeling this guy isn't going to just give up and go away because we ask politely." Cuddy said, memories of her and Michael's last encounter still fresh in her mind as she plopped uncharacteristically ungracefully into the softness of the plush pillows garnishing the end of her office couch. She opened the file over her lap and scanned over it once again as if looking at it for the hundredth time would make all her problems disappear.

House reached across Cuddy's lap and snatched the illustrious file from her delicate hands' grasp. He couldn't help to prevent his all observing eyes from noticing the slight tremble in them she was expertly hiding. "There's no use in torturing your eyes with this guy's boringly incurable disease." House stated as he flung the folder across from him and onto the smooth and neurotically gleaming glass surface of Cuddy's office coffee table.

Cuddy threw her hands up in defeat and rose from beside House on the couch to begin pacing in front of him anxiously. "Well then what do you propose we do, huh?" Cuddy asked desperately. "Our only way out of this mess is dying with absolutely no chance of survival." she said with a slightly raised voice while she pointed towards the file still resting peacefully unperturbed on the coffee table. "We either operate on him and he dies…" Cuddy began hopelessly.

"Or we don't." stated House plainly.

"Then he still dies…" Cuddy said morbidly, "As do we." Cuddy released a hampered breath. "I don't know about you, but I think that constitutes a lose/lose situation for everyone involved."

House remained wordlessly contemplative for several moments before he began to gradually nod his head in confirmation. "Okay then."

"Okay, what?" Cuddy asked confounded, House's cheerful expression restoring a small speck of hope back into her.

"I've always loved surgery." House acknowledged with a sinister smirk. Cuddy's renewed hope vanquished in an instant, but she put up no argument. Not today. It had to be done. She supposed in a way she'd brought this upon herself.

_Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, October 24, 2002:_

Cuddy strolled confidently into exam room one, her eyes cast downward over her patient's file as she closed the door to the exam room and took a seat across from her patient on a three legged stool near the used glove disposal and biohazard trash container.

She set the file down on the counter beside her and cheerfully greeted her newest patient. "Good morning, I'm doctor Cuddy, how are you today Mr. McKeaver?" she inquired with a pleasant smile embellishing the sharp features of her flawless face.

A tall man with stormy grey eyes and mused, jet-black hair turned his attention away from where it had been, observing and evidently memorizing every aspect of the room, to the warm, kind voice that had been directed towards him.

He took a slow breath and disregarded Cuddy's question with one of his own. "What's wrong with my son?" he asked in a gruff, husky tenor.

From the back of the room a young boy emerged from behind his game boy and came to stand beside his father. He paled in comparison, the young boy at least three feet shy of meeting the shoulder of his impressively large father, who towered over him as if he were standing on a ladder.

Cuddy examined the boy visually for a brief moment and after finding no apparent injuries she began to question the young boy's father.

"It says here that your son's only symptoms include frequent stomach discomfort." she said indicating towards the young boy's file with a brief sweep of her now gloved hand. The man nodded sharply and patted the seat behind him, indicating for his son to sit down on the exam chair. He did so, with the assistance of a step stool, and returned his attention back to his father and Cuddy.

Being the optimistic doctor she prides herself in being, Cuddy pushed the plain idea of a stomachache out of her intuitive mind as she advanced towards the exam chair and little boy. "It's not a stomachache if that's what you're thinking." the man stated. "His eating habits haven't changed, no preexisting conditions or family history of anything." the man answered all of Cuddy's unasked questions in one breath while simultaneously shaking his head in dismissal. Cuddy lifted the boy's shirt and felt his stomach. She noticed that it was slightly swollen. She turned, snapping her gloves off of her hands and quickly scrawled something down on her clipboard in her neat printed handwriting.

"If you'd like we could schedule a CT scan to check for any problems." She recommended.

The father nodded his thanks and turned to leave, his son jumping off the exam chair and following him obediently on the way out.

_Dean of Medicine's office, present time:_

"Although before we get to the fun part I think it might be beneficial for me to know what happened here." stated House. Before Cuddy could respond House clarified his question. "The physician's name on the chart states that this case belongs to one Dr. Lisa Cuddy." He acknowledged Cuddy with a nod of his head. His voice lowered in pitch from a berating tone to a bewildered one. "You diagnosed a twelve year old boy with pseudomyxoma peritonei."

"Yes, I know it's a rare disease, especially for a child to have, but after the CT scan revealed the accumulation of mucus in his abdominal cavity it was obvious." House listened patiently. "We'd found it early so I decided to go the route of waiting it out and seeing how it advanced, but the father…Jay McKeaver," she added his name as an afterthought, and perhaps to help jog her memory, "he had other ideas."

"He wanted to choose the option behind door number two…" interceded House.

Cuddy nodded her confirmation. "Surgery." she sighed and continued, "he went to another hospital somewhere in New Jersey and had a debulking surgery performed. Of course the tumor came back, which unfortuanetely for that poor boy meant more operations. McKeaver must have seen surgery as a quick fix as opposed to IP chemotherapy and each time the tumor reappeared he immediately resorted to more surgeries."

"Why didn't the hospital just say no?" House asked.

"According to my understanding he was able to find a different hospital each time." Cuddy answered. "His son has had multiple surgeries in limited time frames and suffers pain from the adhesions caused by complications from the numerous operations."

"And what, he's been through all the hospitals in Jersey so he's come back here for his next fix?" House asked incredulously.

"He wants to completely remove the tumor now." explained Cuddy. "With intensive surgery by means of the Sugarbaker technique."

House turned and picked up the file from the coffee table and scanned over it. Not finding what he was looking for he abandoned the file once again. "When was the kid's last surgery?"

"I'm not sure." answered Cuddy. "None of the surgeries have been recorded very accurately…I suppose that's how he gets the surgeons to agree to operating."

"They must be pissed when they discover it's not the first operation he's had." pondered House.

"Yeah, and it's not good for his son either. I don't think his body can take anymore operations…at least not now."

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Michael nervously paced outside Cuddy's office seemingly abstracted from the current situation all around him. He had watched as him men apprehended a wild and seemingly crazy woman, but ignored it and let his men deal with her as he attended to his ringing phone. He looked at the number on the screen and stalled for a brief moment as if he had become temporarily paralyzed. He walked to a desolate corner on the far side of the lobby and answered the dreaded call.

"Yeah." Michael greeted briskly.

"Is everything set?" asked a deep, gruff voice on the other end of the line.

"I'm working on it." Michael started quickly.

"That's not good enough." barked the man forcefully yet calmly down the other end of the line.

"Just a few more minutes." pleaded Michael, pacing back and forth desperately.

The man on the other end sighed in aggravation. "Don't waste my time." He warned. "You're debt to me isn't paid yet." After a short pause long enough to take in a single breath he continued. "I'm sending him in now. Be ready."

A distant gunshot rang out over the line just as it went dead and Micheal shivered, shutting the phone and shoving it into his pocket hastily. He closed his eyes and rubbed his hands over his face as he regained his composure. Turning around he headed once again towards Cuddy's office to finally begin to set events into motion.

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A/N: So what do you think? I admit I've been making this whole story up as I go along, so whenever I get reviews pertaining to what's going on I think, I don't know either. To make up for my lack of metaphor last time I'll give you a double today. Your reviews are like Tuesdays. I live for them. Like today. House was amazing as always :D …Your reviews are like music. They rock my world. Lol, give me a break, it's late. Oh and don't worry, Wilson and the ducklings will make an appearance in the next chapter.**


	12. Five Guns

A/N: I actually started writing this chapter forgetting that Cameron wasn't with the rest of House's team anymore; that's how long it's been since I've updated so my deepest apologies for that again. But please read and review to let me know you're still reading and I'll be happy! I have to say, I think this is my favorite chapter so far. Probably because the action finally starts to pick up.

Disclaimer: see whatever chapter you feel like

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"Okay," started Wilson, "I don't know what's going on here, but I think we should split up to reduce our chances of being discovered." he decided, "Chase you go—"

"Oh, I don't think so," started Chase, "I've seen enough episodes of Scooby Doo to know that splitting up is a bad idea."

"Well maybe a Scooby snack will change your mind." said Foreman sarcastically. "Wilson's right, we can't roam around the hospital in a big group like this and not inevitably get noticed."

Chase rolled his eyes, "So you're telling me you're not afraid of splitting up?"

"No." answered Foreman definitely. "Are you?" he accused.

"No." Chase responded defensively, "I just don't think it's a good idea, that's all." then added, "Aren't you worried about the conjecture that the black guy always dies first in these situations?"

Foreman rolled his eyes. "Are you doing all the black jokes in House's absence?" he asked plainly, "This isn't a scary movie." he stated, "We all have an equal chance of dying here." he stated factually.

"Gee, thanks for the reassurance." said Chase.

"Okay, that's enough!" whispered Wilson harshly, gaining the attention of the doctors once again. "We're splitting up, end of story. Chase, you take the upper levels of the hospital." Chase nodded. "I'll check out the lobby and area down near the clinic. And Foreman, you take everything else—the cafeteria, labs, etcetera. Be looking out for any possible unguarded exits or connected phone lines." Chase and Foreman nodded. "Be careful and we'll meet back here in an hour to see what we can do."

With that the group split up to examine the state of the hospital as they've never seen it before.

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The door to Cuddy's office opened forcefully and Michael entered, looking serious as death.

He stopped in his tracks upon catching sight of the man in Cuddy's office. "Who the hell are you?" he asked loudly.

"I saw all the mysterious looking vans outside my favorite hospital and decided I'd drop by for the show." responded House, earning himself a glare from Cuddy, desperately pleading with him to shut up. "Very inconspicuous by the way," added House sarcastically, "what with all the guards out front and the way you locked and chained almost every entrance I had no idea anything was going on at all."

Michael's lip twitched in anger as he tried desperately not to loose his temper. If he wanted things to continue going in his favor he would have to remain calm and collected and not let anyone get under his skin.

"And you are…?" asked House, trailing off the end of his sentence awaiting an answer.

"My name is Michael," he greeted automatically after composing himself. "Are you a patient here?" Asked Michael coolly, this inference based solely upon the sight of House's cane. "You somehow managed to escape from your room? Well don't worry." he said, "I'll have someone escort you back so Dr. Cuddy and I can chat." he said with a smile as he reached into his pocket for his cell phone.

"No, wait!" said Cuddy quickly. Michael stopped what he was doing to look up at Cuddy, as did House. "He's a doctor." she said. Michael frowned, but Cuddy continued her explanation quickly, "He's going to be assisting with the operation."

Michael's frown faltered and he narrowed his eyes, carefully examining Cuddy and then House. "So we've reached an agreement, then?" he asked, now smirking victoriously, "Trust me Dr. Cuddy, that's the best decision you've ever made."

He pulled his cell phone out and quickly dialed a number before he put it to his ear. "Bring him in." he said curtly before shutting the phone closed and looking again towards Cuddy. "This shouldn't take too long." started Michael, "Get your operating room prepped and do whatever else you need to do and be ready in fifteen minutes." he dismissed them.

Michael turned to leave the office but stopped, before speaking again. "Don't go anywhere just yet, though. I'll send someone down to escort you to the OR in a minute. I'll see you two later." He said smirking sinisterly before finally leaving Cuddy's office.

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"What the hell is going on here?" thought Wilson as he made his way down a particularly long hallway.

There were guards virtually _everywhere_, posted meticulously outside every major entrance. Occasionally he would have to duck around the nearest corner or abandoned crash cart to avoid being seen by the few doctors attending to their patients under the supervision of an armed man.

He'd given up on the idea of going anywhere near the lobby, which he'd discovered to be the most convoluted area of the hospital, containing the most gunmen and hostages.

The sound of approaching footsteps penetrated the silence surrounding him and entered his ears, alarming Wilson and immediately forcing his feet to the nearest corner or obstacle to duck behind.

But there were none.

Wilson frantically looked around him for an escape. He would have to enter one of the rooms. He quickly decided against any of the patients' rooms, knowing that he didn't contain sufficient knowledge of which were vacant and which were occupied, but instead caught sight of the stairs leading to the observation deck above the operating room and bolted as rapidly and as quietly as his legs would propel him up those stairs.

He opened the door to the observation room and threw himself inside, shutting the door behind him quietly, yet quickly and caught his breath. He almost jumped out of his skin when he saw two figures standing near the window, overlooking the operating room.

The two men turned to look at him as soon as they heard the door open and relief flooded their faces upon recognition.

"What are you two doing here?" asked Wilson.

Foreman and Chase looked at each other before Foreman responded. "We've agreed that splitting up was a bad idea." he said softly. "It's too dangerous to be out in those halls." he stated. "We've discovered that this is the only room that they don't have on guard or need to enter for any reason."

"So we've decided to stay here until we can come up with a better plan." finished Chase.

"Sounds like that's our only option." said Wilson dejectedly.

"Hey, look!" Chase gestured excitedly to the window and the doctors made their way towards the glass and peered down upon the operating room at the two people who had now entered.

House and Cuddy had entered the operating room…

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"I can't believe this." said Cuddy incredulously, referring to the impending operation.

"I know," replied House, "I thought that Bobby guy would be taller."

Cuddy groaned, "It's Michael." she corrected automatically, "And would you please be serious for one moment, House?" pleaded Cuddy, "Look around you!"

The operating room they were currently standing in was in no way prepared for surgery, and neither were they. They were still dressed in their normal clothes and were about to perform surgery just the two of them—any available surgical assistants were being held hostage. They had somehow managed to at least convince their escort to leave them alone and remain outside. The reason being he wasn't 'sterile'.

"Look on the bright side." said House optimistically, "things could be worse." he thought a moment, "At least we're in a hospital."

"I'm sorry," began Cuddy slowly, "did you just say, 'look on the bright side'?" she inquired disbelievingly, "since when do you look on the bright side? Since when have you even been aware of a bright side to anything?"

"Hey," started House defensively, "I've never been ignorant of anything," he stated, "I know that there's some good in life, I only choose not to become dependent on some false hope that everything will turn out for the best. I don't believe that every bad thing that happens is part of some greater plan for a happy ending. What could be the reason behind operating on this kid? He has a ninety percent chance of dying on the table. What good can come from that?" he asked harshly, then continued, "And what about the patients in this hospital not being tended to? How is their pain justified by this?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Bad things happen to good people." he concluded, "You just have to deal with it. And if for once, I decide to look on the bright side," he added with contempt, "Then you can deal with that too."

House turned and began to collect surgical instruments and arrange them on a nearby table. "Serious enough for you?" House asked quietly.

"You're right." said Cuddy, moving to turn on all the machines they would need in less than a few minutes. "Life sucks." she stated shortly.

House looked at Cuddy in confusion.

"But it sucks even more when you don't look to good things for comfort." she continued, "And when you don't all you have left in your life is the bad; when something good happens you dismiss it as if it never happened or was never meant to happen to you at all."

"What's your point?" interrupted House, "Are you trying to explain to me why I'm so miserable? Because if you are, you missed the part where I'm in constant pain." he said, his voice growing louder as he spoke and put clear emphasis on the word pain.

"No." said Cuddy, and then with a small smile, "I'm thanking you for keeping me sane."

Once again Cuddy had managed to confound House.

"I wouldn't dare try to understand the source of your misery." she joked.

Before House could respond the doors to the OR were pushed open and a young boy was wheeled into the room on a gurney being pushed by none other than Michael himself, two large men trailing behind him obediently. "Are you ready?" he asked, stopping the gurney beside the operating table.

"We need more doctors," said Cuddy, "and more time." she added hopefully.

Michael looked at his watch. He wanted to get out of there before the sun began to rise and everyone became aware of what was going on within the confines of the hospital. He frowned deeply. "I'll be back in five minutes." he said, "find your doctors and hurry up." Michael left the room, his men following him; leaving House, Cuddy, and the boy alone in the room together.

"I'll be back," said Cuddy. She was about to leave the room to look for a surgical team when a familiar Australian voice entered the room through the speaker system connecting the OR with the observation deck.

"Someone call for a team?" House and Cuddy looked above them to see Chase, Foreman, and Wilson looking down on them, a mixture of relief and mostly confusion evident on their faces.

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Cuddy was filling Wilson and House's team minus Cameron in on their current situation and the approaching operation. House wasn't really paying attention, which is probably why he was the only one who heard the small voice echo off the walls of the room. He turned to the source of the sound at the far end of the OR.

"Hey" the voice called out again faintly.

House was now at the young boy's bedside looking down on him curiously.

The boy met House's radiant blue eyes and spoke again. "Am I going to die?" he asked softly, devoid of the quantity of emotion one would expect from a boy this age about to go under surgery.

House, not being one to tell a lie for the exclusive purpose of consoling a patient, answered the boy frankly. "Probably," he said.

"Oh…" The boy's eyes fell away from House's as he spoke.

House was trying hard to interpret the emotions on the boy's face. What was proving difficult was the fact that the boy wasn't showing much emotion at all.

"Probably means more specifically ninety percent yes." clarified House. The boy remained still. "Do you not care?" asked House curiously, not considering that this was a child he was speaking to.

The boy's next words surprised House. "Why should I?"

"Because this is your _life_ we're talking about?" House suggested incredulously.

The boy gave a short, cynical laugh that defied his young age. "I haven't had a life since I was seven." he stated factually. "But don't get me wrong," he continued, "I might not have had much influence over my life, but I do care how I die."

The boy didn't give House time to respond. "I've lived my life in operating rooms and recovery facilities…" he looked to the bulge on House's hip under his jacket, "I'll spend my last breaths on this earth making sure I don't die under surgery."

This boy had officially managed to perplex House. How could a child think so contemptuously of life and death?

House was torn from his thoughts by the sound of the doors to the OR opening forcefully giving entrance to Michael. "Times up!" he announced loudly, his harsh voice echoing off the wall opposite him.

Before anyone could blink an eye the boy reached out from his bed and swiped frantically at House's side. At the first swipe the boy successfully managed to grab hold of the gun at House's hip, but couldn't pull it from its holster.

Everyone in the room watched as House struggled to turn and move away from the boy but his grip was firm. House dropped his cane and it fell to the floor with a loud clacking sound that triggered everyone out of their dazed, astonished stares.

It didn't take long for Michael to realize what the boy was trying to obtain from House's side, and it became evident as House's jacket was pushed up, revealing the obvious sight of a gun.

"HEY!" The intensity and volume of Michael's voice startled House and the boy pulled harder, causing House to stumble awkwardly closer to the boy, who given the advantage of House's loss of balance pulled harder still, effectively slamming House's right leg forcefully into the side of the bed.

A grimace of pain flashed across House's face and he couldn't help but relinquish his grip upon the gun.

With a swipe of sound reflecting that of metal against leather the gun was pulled out of its holster at House's side.

House automatically released his pained grip on his damaged thigh to try and desperately reach to retrieve the gun from the boy, who sat up in his bed and maneuvered his body up and out of it, avoiding House by running to the other corner of the OR.

Chase was already running after the boy but was stopped by Michael's enraged voice. "STOP THIS! NOW!"

Everyone, including the boy turned to look at Michael, who now held in his hand his own gun. The commotion in the room had gained the attention of Michael's men who were entering now as well, sparring no time in rushing to each doctor and apprehending each of them.

There were only three men but they managed to gather the doctors and shove them against one wall, keeping them there by the threat of their guns.

It was now only Michael and the boy who stood facing each other.

"Give me the gun, Mathew." Michael prompted from the boy. The boy simply smiled and lifted his gun. This action caused Michael to tighten the grip on his own gun. To everyone's surprise this action only managed to yield an amused laugh from the boy.

"You wouldn't shoot me." he said calmly. "What would my dad say if you did something as stupid as to harm his one and only son?" he laughed again, "Shooting me would be like you shooting yourself." he stated victoriously.

In one swift, fluid movement the boy lifted the gun to his own temple. Everyone in the room tensed, not knowing what to do.

The only one who moved at all was Cuddy. Without even thinking she jumped up from against the wall and darted as quickly as she could over to the armed boy.

There were five guns.

The boy was pointing one at himself. The other four were now directed at Cuddy's moving form.

In a moment that passed before anyone could blink an eye a chilling shot rang out across the operating room that could have been heard clearly throughout the entire hospital…

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A/N: (evil smile) This was a fun chapter to write. Reviews are like Thanksgiving Day food. You can't get enough of it! But if you don't get enough, well that's just sad…Please Review!


	13. Second Shot

**A/N:** Wow, the number of reviews surprised and really just made my day! _You guys are great! _But alright people, you wanted it so here it is! Aren't you glad I updated so soon? I know I am, even if it meant putting off my homework even more, but be forewarned—this chapter is 1,618 words of… pain and suffering. So if you can't handle it, then I wouldn't suggest reading this chapter. The fact that this chapter was so easy to write must mean that I'm a bad person. Oh well, it sure makes for a good story. Okay, that's enough of my ranting; you don't want to read that. **_Please_** read and review to fuel my desire to write more!

**Disclaimer**: Is this really necessary after twelve chapters? Go ahead and try chapter seven; see where it'll take you, just for kicks.

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Within the very second after the shot was heard everyone's lives seemed to move in slow motion. 

One might suspect that in certain life altering situations time would become panicked and move more frantically in a blurred fashion reaching the point to where images become distorted and you can't distinguish your right hand from your left if you held them in front of your face. But how can your entire life flash before your eyes in mere seconds? It can't. That's why everything was moving as if someone had recorded this moment and was now replaying it in slow motion.

Cuddy darted towards the boy as if she were being chased by a starved cheetah, her mind focused completely and utterly on retrieving the deadly weapon from the boy's grasp. She was within arms reach of the boy when the petrifying shot was heard.

Lives were occasionally lost in the operating room and it was always a tragedy when they were. But operating rooms were constructed for the commendable purpose of _saving_ lives. This was the moment Cuddy would forever remember as the time where she couldn't save a life.

She couldn't save the boy because arms reach is as far as she got.

The barrel of a gun jerked back forcefully from the intensity and power of the released bullet which exited the gun as if it had been shot out of a cannon rather than a gun, being followed a short distance by a brief sprinkle of gunpowder.

A chilling scream exited Cuddy's lips against her own will and the look of surprise, astonishment, fear, and finally pain flashed across her face before she fell heavily onto her knees and lay on the cold floor of the OR.

A soft wisp of smoke drifted lazily up from the barrel of Michael's gun and the look of surprise and even fear that had resided on Cuddy's face moments ago were now evident on Michael's features. He, along with the others, were shocked to the point where they couldn't even move. So they simply stared at Cuddy's form on the ground.

She was clutching her shoulder in a gesture of immense pain, but surprised everyone when she raised her head up from the ground to look at the boy. She extended her arm out to him despite the pain as if to say, 'give me the gun,' but upon the sight of the blood on Cuddy's hands the boy backed up in staggered steps with a look of pure horror and dread on his young face. He was shaking his head in denial and appeared as if he was about to cry.

Cuddy's eyes widened as the boy once again lifted the gun to his temple and closed his eyes tightly.

"NO!" Michael's scream tore everyone from their petrified state of motionless. But the boy's grip on the gun didn't falter.

Cuddy's eyes left the boy and fell to the floor where her hand once again found its way onto her injured shoulder. She didn't want to watch this. Instead she watched the growing puddle of blood beneath her as her body jerked from the wave of a sudden onslaught of pain that overtook her body.

House's eyes had not left Cuddy's form the entire time and he couldn't care less about the boy. In fact, that boy was the reason Cuddy was in her current state of pain. Or more immediately—Michael was the true cause of her pain.

House was the first to regain his feet as he jumped from against his position on the wall and propelled himself as fast as humanly possible towards Michael. House moved as if his right leg wasn't even there. The anger he felt towards Michael outweighed his pain tenfold and he threw himself at Michael with all his force. Michael's attention was still focused on the boy as House's body came crashing down upon his, taking him out and landing on the floor.

This action did not go unnoticed by Michael's men and they immediately turned the aim of their guns onto House, who was now on top of Michael, throwing forceful jaw-breaking punches into Michael's quickly bruising and bloody face.

The gunmen's backs were now turned to Wilson, Foreman, and Chase. They didn't hesitate a moment as they each threw themselves at the gunman in front of them.

Foreman tackled the man in front of him who plummeted to the floor, his gun sliding out of his reach, but the man outweighed him greatly and threw Foreman off of him easily and went immediately to retrieve his gun. Foreman didn't let him though and reached out to put the man in a chokehold from behind him, leading him to the far end of OR and effectively away from his gun.

Chase opted to go for the legs and literally swept the man's feet from under him as he fell to the ground and onto his back, dropping his gun as well. Chase immediately sought ownership of the gun, but had to reach near the man to get it. The man took hold of Chase's outstretched arm and twisted it forcefully. Chase let out a bloodcurdling scream of pain as he felt the bones in his arm snap painfully. The man then proceeded to toss Chase about five feet away from him as he made a move to stand and advance towards Chase's limp body.

Wilson decided to throw the back of his elbow as hard as he could into the man's temple. The man's level of surprise led him to practically throw his gun out of his grasp. It landed with a clack of metal somewhere near House and Michael. Wilson didn't give the man much time to react more than a grunt of pain before he forced his fist into his nose, effectively breaking it and reached out to the man's head, pulling him down far enough to force his knee into the man's face multiple times.

The close proximity of this attack turned the advantage from Wilson to the man, who was obviously much larger than Wilson. The enraged man encircled his large arms around Wilson's body and squeezed tightly, stopping Wilson's legs and every other part of his body from moving. The man then lifted Wilson high up into the air and slammed him powerfully into the wall behind them. Wilson released a scream of agony as he felt every muscle in his back burn and throb from the impact against the hard wall and he now lay helplessly on the floor, writhing in pain. The man's face was bleeding profusely and he wiped at his nose. The sight of his own blood fueled his rage and he went to Wilson's form hunched near the wall to take out his anger.

Michael was taking quite the beating from House, who never seemed to be running out of energy as his fists continued to meet his face with the impact of a car crash. House wasn't thinking clearly and the doctor in him telling him to stop before he caused brain damage to this man was silenced. Michael's arm fell limply down beside him, but felt something cool and metallic grace his fingertips. He grabbed the object thankfully and lifted his arm up with what was left of his energy. He brought the object down and into House's face hard and House recoiled painfully as he felt the delicate bones in his face shatter like glass. Michael pushed House off of his own body and stood up uneasily. He stumbled a few times and tried to focus his vision as House lay sprawled out on the floor.

Even through Michael's blurred vision he could tell that things were not going according to plan. The amount of blood flowing freely from his broken nose was making him lightheaded and he fell to the ground.

Foreman's grip had loosened around the man's neck from exhaustion and he was now at the mercy of the enraged man before him. Wilson and Chase were still helplessly taking beatings from their gunmen as well.

"STOP! …Stop this…please!" Cuddy's weak voice was pleading desperately almost the entire time to stop the scene before her. She never in her wildest dreams would have ever imagined that this could possibly ever occur in her hospital. Despite her efforts her words went unheard over the commotion around them all and she looked again towards the boy, whose eyes were still drawn closed tightly. He was shaking from fright and obviously knew what was going without the aide of sight. He could hear the screams of pain all around him. A small tear exited the closed lid of the boy's eye and another deafening shot rang out through the now blood soaked walls of the operating room.

This silenced the commotion all around them as everyone who could still move turned to look for the source of the shot.

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The panic among the occupants of the hospital's lobby was frenzied and uncontrollable by the gunman desperately trying to maintain order. This was the second shot they had heard.

Cameron became worried as soon as she had watched House and Cuddy leave Cuddy's office with their armed escort in the direction of the operating room. She now watched the panicked faces all around her and knew that she had to do something.

She stayed low and against the wall as she sneaked away from the lobby slowly but surely. The commotion was perfect for her to go unseen and she successfully managed to eventually get far enough and slip around a corner unnoticed.

She stood up on shaky legs and practically started to run down the empty hallway in the direction she had seen House and Cuddy leave earlier, following the sound of the gunshot that still sat heavily in the air.

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**A/N:** Oh my, what will happen next? I wrote this all before breakfast. So let's say, your reviews are like breakfast. They fuel my energy for the day thus helping me to write more chapters for you! Please review!!! 


	14. Control

A/N: It's getting quite gory if I may say so myself. Still rated T though, and one bad word. I figured it was appropriate for their situation. Well that was fair warning I believe. Please enjoy! Oh, and thanks to everyone who reviewed!

Disclaimer: see chapter one.

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Cuddy couldn't help but close her eyes as the boy pulled the trigger on the gun still pressed tightly against his temple. For some reason this shot seemed louder to Cuddy. Maybe it was because her eyes were closed; intensifying her other four senses immensely. Maybe it was because the boy was within only mere feet of Cuddy.

She heard the shot all too clearly but the sound alone had no effect comparable to that of the chilling sensation of his warm, thick blood spattering across the space all around him and onto Cuddy's skin and clothes.

Cuddy jumped back instinctively and couldn't help but emit a startled scream as she watched the life fall from the boy's eyes at the same moment that the boy fell to the ground limply into an ever-growing puddle of his own blood, his face unrecognizable; blown to bits of scalp and skin spread uncontrollably all about the room.

'_This can't be happening_.' Cuddy's eyes threatened tears but she didn't dare wipe them away because of the blood on her hands, belonging to either herself or the boy. She didn't know anymore, not that it mattered now anyway; it was probably a mixture of the two. She tried to stand onto her feet and run as far away as she could, but couldn't steady herself through the pain and terror that was causing her body to shake uncontrollably. Instead she remained on the cold, bloodstained floor as she tried desperately to crawl away from the body only feet away from her.

All motion within the room had ceased as everyone stared in petrified shock and horror at the gruesome sight before them; all except Cuddy who was still desperately dragging her body painfully away from the dead and disfigured body.

"Fuck!" Michael's voice was rough and shaky; laced with fear and panic. Wiping the blood from his mouth he again struggled to stand onto his weak legs but only maintained his stability for a fleeting moment before he stumbled uncontrollably forward a few feet only to be stopped abruptly as he crashed into the operating table.

He braced himself on it as a few surgical instruments rattled off the table and onto the floor. Michael extended his arms forward away from his body quickly and pushed himself from the stability of the table and used this new momentum to propel himself towards the exit of the OR, still grasping the gun he used to strike House's face and free himself from House's enraged assault only moments ago.

Michael seemed more panicked than anyone had ever seen him before, even terrified as he continued in his mad dash towards the exit, his calm front now long gone; he was no longer in control.

"Oh, hell no!" House broke his incredulous stare from the small body on the floor and jumped up from the ground, again ignoring the throbbing pain in his thigh, and chased after Michael. There was no way in hell he was letting him get away with this.

House caught up with Michael just as he was reaching out to push open the door and make his escape. House grabbed Michael firmly by his arm and hurled him with more force than he thought himself capable of towards the opposite end of the room. Michael skidded easily across the expanse of the room on the slick floor and landed near the feet of one of his men.

Shocked at seeing his own boss on the floor bloodied and bruised beyond immediate recognition, the gunman stood still for a moment before doing the only thing he thought appropriate. He reached out and attempted to help his boss up from the floor.

His previous moment of fury now somewhat dissipated and his logical sense of thinking finally returning to him, House attempted no other brutal actions towards Michael, knowing from experience that doing so would not advance their situation for the good but only hinder it and hurt them, and decided to leave Michael where he lay.

House felt his body weaken and his adrenaline induced energy reserves reduce to the point where he could once again feel the sickening pain reside in his leg once again, only now multiplied by ten.

The gunman tried in vain to help his boss from the floor, but this simple task was proving extremely difficult as Michael stubbornly refused any of the offered help. The other two gunmen advanced towards their boss and tried to help as well; giving House and the other doctors time to finally collect themselves.

House felt the anger swell up inside him as he glanced out upon the operating room he would never look at again in the same way. His friends, whom he did care for them more than he let on, were writhing on the floor all in different degrees of pain reflected on their faces. He dragged himself heavily to Wilson, who was attempting to use the wall behind him to assist himself in standing up, all the while trying to mask the winces of pain that would flash across his ever swelling face. House reached out to Wilson and helped him up as best as he could.

"He—he s-shot himself." Wilson's eyes were locked on the boy's body on the ground and he was clearly as shocked as everyone else. Chase and Foreman were able to get up from the ground as well and make their way over to join House and Wilson. House's eyes automatically went to scan over his team for injuries and he felt himself again grow incensed upon the sight of them. Suddenly remembering, House turned his head towards Cuddy. The sight of her crawling away from the boy's body, leaving a trail of her own blood behind her was like lighter fluid added to his anger and he turned to glance at Michael and his men.

The gunmen were still struggling to retrieve their boss up from the floor. House contained his anger and decided to instead hurry towards his own boss.

"Cuddy." Cuddy stopped dragging her body across the floor from exhaustion and House leaned down next to her, stifling in a hiss of pain shooting up from his thigh as he did so. He reached out to examine Cuddy's shoulder and she instinctively recoiled.

"Stop moving, I need to look at your shoulder," commanded House.

"Its fine," lied Cuddy in a shaky voice masked well by something sounding much like anger.

"I've been shot before," stated House, "from my experience and the amount of your blood on the floor it hurts like hell so just stop—"

"He's getting away!" Cuddy tried again to stand but House held her down. "Stop him!" Cuddy struggled painfully against House as he turned his head to look towards Michael. He was almost near the exit and Chase, Foreman, and Wilson were hot on his tail.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Cuddy didn't stop struggling against House and she surprised him with a sudden burst of energy as she pushed him roughly away from her. With one more attempt from Cuddy to stand House reached out and grabbed Cuddy just as she was getting up and pulled her down into him.

"Stop being stupid! There's nothing you can do!" House's voice was harsh yet soft, spoken almost regretfully. There was nothing either of them could do. Cuddy weakened from House's grip and also his words and just watched the scene play out in front of her.

Michael's men took out Foreman, Chase, and Wilson easily with one last effortless strike from their powerful fists. The already weakened and injured doctors fell to the floor helplessly as the gunmen turned to follow their boss out.

"HEY!!!" Michael slowed at the sound of Cuddy's voice and glanced back into the operating room. "You're just going to leave?" asked Cuddy, with a perplexed House still holding her to him.

Cuddy freed herself from House's grip and for the first time in what seemed like forever, she finally managed to stand steadily on her feet. "You're not man enough to clean up your own mess?" she inquired, referring to the blood and bodies—both injured and dead, in the present room.

Michael seemed at a loss for words as he looked at the boy's body lying abandoned on the cold floor. "Come on boss, we need to get out of here." One of Michael's men tried to persuade him to leave.

Cuddy shook her head slowly, "I guess I shouldn't expect it." Cuddy didn't know how this would end, but she wanted to keep him here for some reason; she couldn't let him get away with this. "What kind of man runs from his problems anyway?" she was provoking him now. "You show all the signs of a coward." Cuddy spat harshly. House looked up at Cuddy now more confused than ever. "You run from your messes, you hide behind your lackeys and send them to do all of your dirty work for you, and you couldn't intimidate a puppy without your gun!" spat Cuddy angrily. Cuddy took a short step forward causing House and everyone else in the room to visibly tense.

Michael's jaw clenched in anger. "Come on boss, let's go!" The man grabbed his boss lightly by the arm and tried to lead him out. Michael simply shrugged him off but turned to leave anyway, knowing it was in his best interest to not stay any longer. One glance over towards the dead body confirmed that he had overstayed his welcome. His body was screaming at him as well; it was definitely more bruised than his ego.

Cuddy sighed a deep breath outward, releasing the tension from all of her muscles in her body, not knowing what else she could do to keep him there. She had been trying to get him to leave ever since he'd made his presence known at her hospital. She reasoned it was for justice. She couldn't let him get away with murder. But looking all around her she soon realized that there was nothing left to do.

Michael reached out to push the door hiding his freedom open but was surprised when it swung open for him, almost smacking him across his face.

If Michael could've seen clearly out of his dark, swollen eyes he would have easily connected the face now in front of him with the crazy mental patient he'd paid no mind to earlier in the lobby near the nurses' station. But all he saw now was a new, easily penetrable barrier between the crime scene he was currently standing in and the freedom he sought behind her.

He pushed past the woman blindly, not seeing her as any kind of threat; she went down easily. Or so he thought.

Without thinking Cameron pushed herself from the wall she had been shoved into and took a less than physical approach at stopping this man she had only seen once before. Running in front of him she stopped suddenly and stuck her foot out, effectively tripping Michael; causing him to land face first with a loud smack against the hard floor of the hospital. His men, making the mistake of following too closely behind their boss, made Cameron's small attempt to only slow Michael even more effective as they literally tripped over Michael, landing in a pile on top of him. They quickly made a move to stand up, but were stopped by a threatening voice.

"Don't move!" Cuddy towered over the men, who looked ridiculous, helplessly piled on top of each other in a heap on the floor like a pile of dirty laundry neglected and simply left on the floor to collect dust. She stood straight now, her stance giving out no indication of the pain she was in. Her legs were firmly planted on the ground and she held a gun in her hand, her other arm hanging loosely by her side, but close to her body.

"I have no reason _not_ to shoot you right now!" Her voice was gravely serious and judging by what had happened only minutes ago in the OR, she wasn't going to show any mercy. The men could only remain on the ground at gunpoint, defeat washing over them like a rainstorm that only intensified as Wilson, Foreman, Chase, and House walked over to stand next to Cuddy, surrounding the men like a hungry pack of lions to their prey, each clutching their own injuries lightly and breathing heavily, looking down on the men—especially Michael, with extreme contempt reflected in their eyes.

This was the first time Cameron was able to see her co-workers and even House in what seemed like only minutes ago and she was shocked to say the least. How they were even standing now was incredible. She was shaken from her thoughts as a number of footsteps could be heard advancing toward them with lightning speed. Everyone tensed, but Cuddy didn't dare move the gun from Michael or any of his men as the footsteps neared closer with each passing second.

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Okay guys, please review! I don't have any time for a metaphor now because I have a lot of stuff to type up! I was on vacation, I guess you could say, and have lots and lots of pages of writing that I need to post. I'll try to go as fast as I can. And during my 'vacation' I finished this story! Only two more chapters I think. I'm proud of it and I hope you guys are still reading! So review and let me know that you're still there!


	15. Breaking News

A/N: Who likes fast updates? Well here you go! Only this and one more chapter to go! Please read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: see chapter one.

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Cuddy, Wilson, House, and his team watched from the now unchained entrance of the hospital as Michael and his men were apprehended and led into the backs of several police vehicles.

They wanted to see them off personally before going to tend to their own injuries.

They watched with interest as Michael struggled at the door of one police car.

"No!" he yelled, his hand on the top of the car, keeping him temporarily out of the vehicle, "It's not safe!" he pleaded, "He'll find me there!" the desperation in his voice was evident, but the officer only rolled his eyes and forcefully pulled Michael's hand down and behind his back, containing his wrists in a set of tight handcuffs.

Michael turned his head towards the on-looking group of doctors as he warned them, "He'll come after you once he's done with me!" he said in an ominous voice.

The officer placed a hand on top of Michael's head and shoved him roughly into the backseat of the car, shutting the door behind him.

"We're sorry we couldn't get to you earlier." An officer offered his condolences briefly to the group. "We came as soon as we got word of shots fired."

Cuddy nodded her thanks on behalf of everyone and the officer retreated to return to his work.

As the cars containing Michael and his men faded off into the distance as a blur of flashing alternating red and blue lights, the doctors retreated back into the hospital.

Cuddy grinned inwardly at the efficiency of her hospital. Everything seemed to have gotten back on its feet just as fast as it had been knocked down. Everything was just as it should be. Patients were being tended to, doctors could do their jobs…but the OR would be out of commission until it was cleaned and cleared of any…bad memories.

Cuddy was suddenly feeling lightheaded again. Her legs began to loose their stability and her shoulder throbbed at her with the same intensity as when the bullet had first penetrated her. It was like someone was squeezing the exact point the bullet had chosen to enter her as hard as they could, gripping her nails first, tightening and twisting, digging into her flesh as deeply as possible as if there were something in the depths of her muscles worth finding and excavating.

The room seemed to grow smaller and smaller; closing in on her. She leaned against a wall for support before it began to sway and spin. The only definite sensation she knew to be real was the undeniable taste of blood lingering in her mouth as she clenched her teeth together to stifle her screams. Then she fell.

She didn't fall far though before she landed into something surprisingly soft and supportive. Her eyes still open, she could faintly distinguish an unclear silhouette of something—someone, familiar. The face, red and swollen, was still undeniably House. Everything beyond him was a bright blur even though his face seemed to grow clearer. It held no emotion though as it looked her up and down, probably just a precaution to breaking anymore bones in his fragile face by contorting his facial features with the simple act of displaying emotions. So, with an unreadable face, Cuddy could feel House adjust her in his arms, pulling her closer to him for better support as they limped slowly together, using each other for that much needed support, towards one of the exam rooms to join the others where Cameron was persistently continuing her examination of the others.

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"_And in breaking news, Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital has just been relieved by local police forces after hearing a number of two gun shots coming from the renowned hospital. It was taken under siege sometime late last night for reasons yet to be discovered. Police are still examining the hospital grounds as we speak and have already uncovered the body of a young boy, who suffered a deadly gunshot to the head, seemingly ten to thirteen years of age. He has yet to be identified. This is the only reported death so far, among several other injuries sustained by employees of the hospital. A staggering twenty five armed subjects have been apprehended at the scene and are being brought in for questioning. We'll have more on this story—"_

"Shut that damn thing off." Everyone in the exam room turned as House entered, carrying an almost lifeless looking Cuddy along side of him. Chase jumped up off the exam table in the middle of Cameron's administration of a cast to his arm immediately at the sigh of his boss and boss' boss entering the room.

House limped painfully over to the table and placed Cuddy carefully on top of it.

"How long has she been bleeding out like this?" asked Cameron as she went to work on cutting the material of Cuddy's bloodstained shirt away from her shoulder area.

"Too long." answered House, not sure of exactly how long it had been since she was shot.

"Is the bullet still in her?" she asked quickly, "we can't exactly operate now." she said sadly.

"Well then we'll treat it like its not," said House simply, "she needs blood!" he demanded, but his team was already gone, gathering the needed tools and medication to help their boss recover.

House looked at Cuddy quickly, who appeared to be falling asleep. "Hey!" he said strongly, directing his words toward Cuddy. "You have to stay awake!" he ordered. Cuddy's breathing was shallow as she hissed in pain. "Yeah, I know, it hurts like hell doesn't it?" a small smile began to pull at his face, but the soreness that resulted in that action made him hold it back. "We'll get you under some morphine soon." he assured her calmingly.

"No morphine." she said simply, causing House to look at her incredulously. "That'll just make coming off of it harder." she explained, "I'm fine." she said, her voice soft; straining a bit at the end. "Besides," she continued, "I need to save some for the rest of you, right?" She smiled faintly, "I just got shot; the rest of you took a hell of a beating."

House again wanted to smile at Cuddy, but stopped himself just as his team and Wilson rushed back in with the necessary blood and medication she needed. He spared no time as he inserted an IV into her arm as the others went to work as well, hanging bags of blood and medication above her.

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A/N: Only one more chapter to go! Please Review on your way out!


	16. Back to Normal?

A/N: This is it! The last chapter!!! I certainly enjoyed writing this and I hope you've found the same amount of pleasure from reading it. So here's the long awaited last chapter! Like always, please read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: one last time, see chapter one.

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Cuddy stood on the roof of PPTH overlooking the city as the wind whipped softly against her face. She stepped closer to the same ledge that she had been looking down on when this whole ordeal had started and peered over it, finding nothing but cars resting in their proper parking places.

She sighed contentedly as her soft curls were thrown gently against the side of her face by the wind and instinctively went to brush them out of the way, but stopped at the dull pain it caused in her shoulder.

She still wasn't used to being confined in a sing, but at least things were somehow back to normal. The only thing different now was her injuries, her friends' injuries, and the constant media attention that she was currently avoiding.

They'd never look for her on the roof, she reasoned; which was why she again found herself in the same place she always found herself when she needed to get away—the roof.

The sound of footsteps resonated loudly from behind her and she turned, but was oddly thankful as she was met with only the sight of House and not a news crew. He was limping quite heavily on his new cane; having refused to use crutches.

"What are you doing up here?" asked House.

"What are _you_ doing up here?" Countered Cuddy, "You should be resting," she chided softly.

House had just come out of surgery a couple hours ago to repair the structure of his face and now even had a few metal pieces in his face.

"Same reason as you," he explained, "I needed some fresh air." He dug into his pocket and retrieved his bottle of vicodin, pulling out two familiar white pills.

"You know, just because of everything that happened you still don't have an excuse to abuse your vicodin habit," she said with a slight frown.

House downed one pill and offered the other to Cuddy, "This is my first for the day," he defended himself.

Cuddy accepted the offered pill from House's hand reluctantly.

House continued, "If you can go without morphine on a gunshot wound, I can cut back on my drugs," he reasoned. Cuddy looked him over curiously before she pocketed the long white pill. "Think of it as a little friendly competition." he began, "Who can withstand the most pain?" He smiled, "I'm winning by the way." he stated, "I had _two_ gunshot wounds—at the same time," he added, "_and_ an infarction complete with muscle death and everything," he said proudly.

Cuddy laughed softly and shook her head at House's little game. "Go back to your room House," she demanded with a smile.

He offered no protest as he turned to leave, but stopped one last time. "Me and Wilson are going out for drinks later," he started slowly; almost unsurely, "I'll pick you up at seven."

With that he disappeared from view, leaving Cuddy alone once again. She smiled. Okay, maybe _everything_ wasn't back to normal.

She watched over the ledge as a police car turned the corner across the street, disappearing around a tall building, and a voice entered her thoughts uninvited. _"This isn't over!"_

Cuddy blinked and shook her head of the voice, but it persisted. _"He'll come after you once he's done with me!"_

Cuddy frowned as she looked over the serene streets of Princeton and noticed the faded image of a rainbow stretching out across the pale blue sky.

She decided she wasn't going to let him get to her like this. As far as she was concerned, this was over.

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A/N: Wow! I'm finally done! What a ride this has been, and of course, thanks for joining me on it! I couldn't have done it without you guys! Thank you for all your support in reviews or just plain reading. Help me out one last time and review again, and help me accomplish my goal of getting one hundred reviews!!! But I just couldn't help but set myself up for a sequel! What do you think? How about one last metaphor in exchange for one last review? Sound fair? Alright, your reviews are like lead. My pencil's running empty! So come one people! Oh yeah and I've come to realize I've been giving you all similes instead of metaphors…but hey, just take out whenever I say like and you'll be good. Lol. Thanks again guys!

A/A/N: For all the people who were waiting for some Huddy, I'm sorry, but I didn't want to force it into this fic. I'll work it into the sequel if I decide to do one, though.

Preview (Ideas) for (possible) sequel:

"Where's Wilson?" asked Cuddy as House escorted her into the bar.

"Maybe he's late." House offered.

"_We're_ thirty minutes late." Cuddy pointed out suspiciously.

"Oh," said House, feigning surprise. "He must've stood me up I guess." he said dismissively. Cuddy narrowed her eyes at House. "What a bastard." he said, trying to come off more angry than indifferent as he led Cuddy to the bar.

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"I'd like to see inmate Michael Wolfe please." asked Cuddy as she neared the counter, clutching an envelope tightly in her hand.

"Just a moment please." The officer—or rather security guard, turned in his chair and began clicking away at his keyboard. "He's no longer here." said the man, turning in his chair to continue watching his television program on his hand held TV. set.

"He was discharged?" asked Cuddy inquisitively, stepping closer to the counter.

"No." said the guard shortly, "I'm not authorized to release that information."

He closed the glass separating him from Cuddy, and turned his back to her, effectively ending the conversation and dismissing her.

Cuddy looked down at the envelope she held firmly in her hand and left the prison in a hurry.

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I think that's enough for now. This might be fun. :D But don't hold your breath for it okay? I have plenty of other fics to occupy my time for a while. But until then, goodbye.


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